Invest in saving energy

We need to realize that the recent upturn in U.S. oil production is a result of new fracking operations. These wells tend to produce a lot initially, but then decline quickly.

If we let the drillers' numbers lull us into ignoring the energy issue, in a few years we will wake up to a U.S. that is totally dependent on foreign oil, while also suffering from huge weather extremes brought about by climate change.

This is why I was happy to read about President Obama's order to raise renewable-energy use in federal agencies. Renewables are not quite ready to replace fossil fuels, but they are getting there. And the good news is, we don't need to replace all of our current energy consumption.

According to the World Bank, the United Kingdom, hardly an ascetic nation, consumes per person less than half as much energy as the U.S. We have huge opportunities to save energy while also generating new jobs: insulating houses, building more efficient cars, designing walkable cities. These are steps we can take right now that don't involve drilling or international entanglements. I hope to read about us taking some of these steps soon.

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Invest in saving energy

We need to realize that the recent upturn in U.S. oil production is a result of new fracking operations. These wells tend to produce a lot initially, but then decline quickly.